


Lift Your Open Hand

by AbcdeAbcde



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, M/M, Possibly Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-30 08:48:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6416902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbcdeAbcde/pseuds/AbcdeAbcde
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s Truth or Dare.</p>
<p>What Derek expects is this:</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lift Your Open Hand

What Derek expects is this:

“Fuck off, Nursey,” Dex says, taking another drink. This is his fourth beer. The bottle is half empty. “Truth, then.”

Then Derek will ask him:

“Have you ever thought about another guy while jerking off?”

And Dex will deny it because he hasn’t, or because the lie is unprovable. Perhaps the tips of his ears will go pink but that could be because he’s lying, or because he’s uncomfortable discussing sex, or because he’s uncomfortable discussing gay sex.

The game will go on.

_/\\_

What Derek expects is this:

“Fuck off, Nursey,” Dex says, his face flushing. He takes a swig from his bottle. It’s his fourth already and this one is half empty.

“You’ve got to take the dare, bro.” Holster will frown over his glasses at Dex.

“Oh! But he can chose truth if he wants, can’t he?” Chowder will pipe up.

“And lie through his teeth,” Derek will snort, because he can’t help himself.

“Bro!” Ransom will punch Derek. “You can’t accuse people of shit like that. Truth or Dare is sacred.”

“Chill, Ransom,” Derek will say.

And Dex will take the bait, losing his shit at Derek, as though it’s Derek’s attitude that bothers him and not his own discomfort with homosexuality. 

It’ll end with Bitty daring both of them to say another word if they don’t want pie for a month.

_/\\_

What Derek expects is this:

“Fuck off, Nursey,” Dex says calmly. This is his fourth beer of the hour and it’s already half empty, but you wouldn’t know it listening to him. 

“I just think it’s in poor taste,” Dex will go on, gesturing towards Bitty.

“You think it will offend me?” Bitty will ask flatly, in that way that means he actually is offended and someone isn’t getting any pie for a couple of days.

“I think Nurse is trying to start a round of “no homo” upmanship,” Dex will shrug.

“Chill, Dex,” Derek will say. But Dex is getting better at him. He won’t respond.

“Okay, Dex. I dare you to fit two ping pong balls in your mouth at once,” Lardo will interrupt. “There you go, Nursey. Is that “no homo” enough for you?”

_/\\_

What Derek expects is this:

“Fuck off, Nursey,” Dex rolls his eyes. He takes a swig from his beer. It’s his fourth – Derek’s been counting – and half empty, but he doesn’t seem affected. 

“You gotta do it, bro,” Lardo will say to Dex. “Come on, suck it up. At least you didn’t have to go across the street and give your number to a lax dude.”

“I’ll screen your calls,” Bitty will say loyally, throwing an arm around Lardo. “Go on Dex.”

“Fine,” Dex will huff, rolling his eyes and rising to cross the circle. He stands up from sitting in one loose motion – he’s stronger than he looks. Derek would give anything to have that kind of co-ordination.

It will be over in a second. They will never mention it again.

_/\\_

What Derek hopes is this:

“Fuck off, Nursey,” Dex runs a hand through his hair. It’s longer than usual. He’s due for his monthly haircut tomorrow. He takes a swig of his beer. It’s his fourth of the evening and the bottle is half full.

“It’s a simple dare, man,” Derek will meet his eyes defiantly. It might look casual to an outsider. Dex knows him too well for that.

“Right,” Dex will huff and give him that half-smile Derek craves. Derek will wonder what would happen if Dex ever smiled fully at him.

“Do it!” Ransom will bellow.

“Yeah! Do it!” Chowder will echo, flushed a mad red and sloppily leaning all over a tolerant Farmer.

Dex will roll his eyes and shrug, rising gracefully to his feet. Derek won’t say it out loud, but Dex grew half an inch over the summer and is clearly taller than him now. Going by his bicep definition, pulling lobster cages is a more strenuous activity than Derek would previously have given credit also.

Dex will stand over Derek, the firelight making his expression difficult to interpret.

“Well?” he will ask.

“What?” Derek will play dumb. Perhaps he’ll actually be struck dumb.

Dex will roll his eyes again and hold out a hand. He’s done it on the ice once or twice, but this time their hands meet naked.

Derek will probably stumble when he rises. It’s not his first beer, but he’d probably stumble even if it were. Dex knows this about him and will laugh but it won’t be cruel.

Derek’s never seen Dex kiss anyone before. He must have hooked up - college is easy that way - but it’s never been anywhere Derek had a view on it. Derek will need to use his imagination for this.

Dex won’t let go of his hand. That’s okay, Derek won’t be letting go either. He’ll lean in close and rest his free hand on Derek’s jawbone. His thumb will stroke the stubble that is harder work to maintain than being clean-shaven. Derek thinks it makes him look older – less vulnerable than he really is.

Their lips will meet softly and Derek knows their friends will be catcalling and filming it, but all of that will be muted to him. Dex will pull back and Derek will meet his eyes – not brave enough to ask again, but hoping Dex will read him right. He believes that’s what’s been happening for a year and a half now – Dex has been studying him like a book. The text should be familiar.

Dex will smile a little. Derek doesn’t dare hope for that full smile. He doesn’t think he’s ready yet.

Dex will lean in again and this time when their lips meet it won’t be a game.

_/\\_

What happens is this:

“Whose turn is it now?” Bitty asks, looking around.

“Nursey’s turn to ask Dex,” Ransom consults his spreadsheet.

“Oh, Sweet Lord,” Bitty mutters.

“What’ll it be, Poindexter?” Derek asks. “Truth or Dare?”

“Dare,” says Dex.


End file.
